PCB to conduct rehabilitation programme for Pak spot-fixer Aamir

Islamabad, Feb 4 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board's legal adviser, Taffazul Rizvi, has said convicted spot-fixer Mohammad Aamir's rehabilitation programme would begin soon.

"Under the ICC anti-corruption code a convicted player undergoes an official education session to the reasonable satisfaction of ACSU programme during his period of ineligibility, in Aamir's case it is five years," The News quoted Rizvi, as saying.

"Further Amir has to agree to such additional reasonable and proportionate monitoring procedures and requirements as the ACSU may reasonably consider necessary."

"PCB and ICC are on the same page in this matter and are already in contact over the official anti-corruption education session," Rizvi added.

Since the spot-fixing scandal, the PCB has introduced stricter clauses in players' contracts to limit a malpractice in the game, and it has established its own anti-corruption unit.

Today, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf has backed the return of Aamir in the team after he serves his five-year ban, saying he was a talented fast bowler who had been 'trapped.'

"I want to see Aamir back, but only after considering the legality of the case and only after he serves the ban," he said.

Nineteen-year-old Aamir was released from a British prison on Wednesday after serving half of his six-month sentence for his part in the scandal during the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010.

His teammates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif are still in jail serving 30-month and 12-month sentences respectively handed down by a British court in November last year.

On Friday, former Pakistan captain and coach Waqar Younis had also urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to review its five-year ban on Amir over the spot fixing scandal.

"If the ban reduction can be considered, then they should do that, every law gives margin," Younis had said. (ANI)